LeBron James and the Miami Heat are defending their title against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. / Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

by Sean Highkin, USA TODAY Sports

by Sean Highkin, USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and the Miami Heat have to be excited that their games matter again. Watching LeBron perform at otherworldly levels without seeming fully engaged for the last two months of the season was a strange experience. Now it's the playoffs, and for the Heat, this is when it counts. Judging by this gigantic dunk James threw down in the first quarter of their series opener against the Milwaukee Bucks, he's glad the stage is getting bigger.